Last Sunday could not have come quickly enough for the UConn duo of Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Morgan Tuck.

After missing the last eight games, Mosqueda-Lewis and Tuck returned to practice a week ago today and are listed as probable to play against No. 2 Duke on Tuesday night.

"You hate sitting out and me and Kaleena we out for about a month so it was nice to be able to be out thee and be out there with the team," Tuck said.

So how does Tuck thinks she will play in her first game in more than a month?

"I think it will kind of like normal," Tuck said. "I can't guarantee anything but I feel like I can play and I don't feel like he is going to try to limit me if I don't (feel right)."

Tuck was out there for the final portion of Sunday's practice, which was open to the media. Mosqueda-Lewis was not taking part in drills during that time but UConn coach Geno Auriemma said both of them have been able to practice during the week.

"Not all week," Auriemma said. "You don't want to throw them in there all at once when you haven't done anything for four weeks, five weeks. You know you aren't going to throw them in there for two hours every single day right of the bat so we try to work them back in  to the best of their ability without compromising everything that they have done. Some (days) it has been 45 minutes, some it has been (less).

Mosqueda-Lewis, who has been out since injuring her right elbow early in the second half of a Nov. 11 win against Stanford, admits to needing to shake some of the rust off.

"I'm just getting used to my elbow but other than I feel fine," Mosqueda-Lewis said. "I anticipate playing. I have been practicing, I have been fine so I don't see any reason why I shouldn't play.

"It feels good, I am making shots and it feels good to be out there with the team again. I am assuming I will be a little limited but not too much, it is all going to depending on how I feel and how the game goes."

While UConn was not going to rush either player back just to have them ready for Duke, both of them were targeting a return for the nationally-televised showdown.

"It was nice to have a goal to reach and Rosie (Ragle, UConn's athletic trainer) definitely tried get me as back as quickly as possible while at the same time making sure I was going to be strong," Mosqueda-Lewis said.

Their teammates are thrilled to have the two of them back.

"They wanted to be back on the court and I think this week of practice really helped them get back into the rhythm of things and I am excited to have them back in the rhythm of the game," UConn sophomore forward Breanna Stewart said. "It is two more people that other teams have to worry about..They are two versatile players to be able to have them back."